


Be Brave, My Sweet

by myriddin



Series: Consent [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Double Date, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Friendship, Oblivious Jon, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-06-16
Packaged: 2018-04-01 04:25:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4005793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myriddin/pseuds/myriddin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jon and Sansa’s first date, but is everyone aware it’s a date?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m American, but I have a hard time viewing a modern ASoIaF AU in the States, so I’m setting this in Britain. It won’t make much of a difference (still American, I’d just muck it up). Any references or slang have likely already made their way into pop culture anyway.

Jon couldn’t remember the last time he’d had this much fun.

He and Sansa’s friendship had flourished since that infamous party. The afternoons they had spent together, meeting up for a cuppa or perusing shops in the West End, had reinforced Robb’s determination to return Jon to the land of the living, enlisting his other siblings in his efforts. Jon once again found himself going out to the pub, to the park to kick around a football with the boys, attending Arya’s fencing matches with the whole family.

Robb’s crusade also included his sister, just as recently single and reclusive as Jon. Their current endeavor, the the three of them out to dinner along with Robb’s girlfriend, Jeyne, had even been Sansa’s idea. It pleased Jon to no end that Sansa was coming back out of her shell as well.

The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere, just posh enough to call for nice dress but not overly gaudy. Conversation and camaraderie flowed freely as Jon enjoyed some of the best roast supper he had ever tasted, though in all honesty Sansa was stealing bites of his meal about as often as he was snatching bits of her salmon.

Robb was being his usual charismatic self, regaling the girls with stories of their school days. Jon almost spit out his wine when he heard himself being falsely made out to be the mastermind behind a particularly memorable caper.

“Oi,” he protested, “If you’re gonna tell it, tell it right.”

“You sure you don’t want credit?” Robb said with a smirk. “It was rather genius.”

“It was completely daft,” Jon countered, turning to the girls to set the story straight. “He said we stole something from the headmaster’s desk and almost got away with it, yeah? That’s just the bare bones of it. Theon and Robb found out the headmaster kept some…odd things locked in his desk. The first I heard about it was seeing those two geniuses tearing down the hallway like they had Hell-hounds at their heels.”

“Felt like it,” Robb murmured, “Considering Pycelle sicked Thorne on us.”

Jon shot him an incredulous look. “Robb, you stole a pair of knickers and a riding crop from Pycelle’s desk. Allister Thorne was the least you deserved. Especially when you tossed the knickers at my head and got me involved.”

Robb rolled his eyes, but didn’t reply.

“Anyway, Thorne dragged us to the Sister and had us put to work. Regular stuff, sweeping and cleaning windows. Then we got to clapping the erasers. Robb, of course, couldn’t resist acting like a git and throwing one at my back. I turned around to yell at him and he tossed another right in face.”

Robb flashed a mischievous grin. “Theon got in on it and all hell broke loose. By the time the Sister came to check up on us, everything was covered in dust. And the Sister let out the loudest screeching I have ever heard.”

Surprisingly, Jon was the one to do the impression for him. He drew himself up in a fair facsimile of the furious nun, pitching his voice several octaves high. “’Why you little beasts! In all my years working for the education administration, never have I seen such blatant and disrespectful misbehavior. The three of you are worse behaved than bulls in heat!’”

The girls, who had been visibly straining to hold in their laughter to hear the end of the story, couldn’t hold back any long and burst into fits of giggles. “B-bulls in heat?” Sansa asked between chortles.

Robb grinned, pleased with his audience’s reaction, and Jon chuckled, unable to help himself. “That’s what she said.”

“What happened after that?” Jeyne asked, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

“Dad kept us from being expelled, but he didn’t let us off the hook. You remember that summer Theon and I interned at his office, Sansa? It wasn’t exactly voluntary. Mum was so proud, too. Watching me leave every morning in an Oxford and tie…that I would roast in ‘cause there was no AC. I did convince Dad to let Jon off the hook, though.”

“That was gracious of you,” Jon replied dryly, “Considering I was innocent to start with.”

“Innocent? That’s how you want to describe yourself?”

“Every time we were ever in trouble was your fault.”

Robb made a mock expression of outrage and dramatically placed a hand over his heart. “I’m shocked you would think so lowly of me, Jon. After all we’ve been through together. Just think of the zoo incident in primary.”

“Your fault.”

“Our Year 10 commencement.”

“Still you.”

“Not the point.”

“What is the point?”

“That we got through all of that together.”

Jon smiled wryly, “I’m touched that you’re such an active advocate for our brotherhood, Robb, but you’re still missing the fact that all those incidents were your fault.”

Sensing his defeat, Robb settled for making a rude sound that was so unexpected for their setting that they broke back out into surprised laughter.  
Charmed by seeing such an open, genuine smile on Sansa’s face, Jon was determined to see it stay. Especially if it was at his best friend’s expense. “Did Robb ever tell either of you about karaoke night at the pub?”

Robb groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

“Apparently all it takes is six pints and 'I’m Too Sexy’ to get your brother to treat a small stage like his personal catwalk.”

Sansa regarded her brother with a 'cat caught the canary’ smile. “Did he shake his tush on the 'catwalk’?”

“Oh, yes. Right before he started stripping and got us kicked out.”

Robb didn’t discriminate as he glowered at the lot of them, his smug sister, his giggling girlfriend, and his traitorous best friend. “Yeah? How do you know it wasn’t your caterwauling that got us the boot? You don’t remember serenading that ginger fellow with 'Wild Thing’? You were so pissed you kept called the poor bloke Ygritte.”

Jon didn’t have time to let the embarrassment set in before Robb was looking apologetic. “Sorry. Shouldn’t bring up exes on a date, even a double.”

Jon’s brows knit together with confusion as he turned to face the redhead beside him. “Date?”

Sansa nodded sheepishly, giving him a shy smile. “Yeah. Is that okay?”

He smiled softly, reaching over to rest his hand over hers. “That’s plenty okay.”

+++

They finished their meal languorously, and music began to play in the background after the band finished setting up. Jon thoughtfully watched as Sansa's gaze caught and stayed on the dancers filling the floor. He smiled softly, rising to his feet to stand before her, "Do you want to dance? I'm not very good, but I can try if you want to..."

"I'd love to."

Shyness had no real place there anymore as she took the hand Jon extended toward her and allowed herself to be drawn into his arms. It was a feeling like coming home as she came into his embrace, their bodies fitting seamlessly. Despite his warnings, they moved fluidly together into the dance.

In his arms, it felt strangely familiar, it felt exhilarating and new, but most of all...it just felt right.

Jon leaned his head to hers and their cheeks brushed, the light stubble along his jaw scratching against her skin. Her nose crinkled at the sensation and he smiled. "Sansa?"

"Hmm?" Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers idly skimming along his nape to toy with the ponytail he'd pulled his hair back into. A pleasurable shiver ran down his spine at her touch.

"You look beautiful," and he was unable to hide the warm sincerity of his words, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You're looking quite handsome yourself."

He chuckled. "No, you certainly outclass me."

"Thank you," she replied, shyly biting her lip, averting her eyes from his.

"Hey…look at me, sweetheart," his fingers curled around her chin, gently tilting her head back up to look at him. "Are you having a good time?"

"Yes. It's been unforgettable so far."

"Unforgettable, huh?" he said with a smile, playfully waggling his eyebrows, "Much be my irresistible charm."

She rolled her eyes, swatting him in the arm for the cockiness coloring his tone, though she could not help a smile. "More like irresistible foolishness."

They leaned back into each other once more, their foreheads meeting as their eyes locked, holding one another's gaze. Jon smiled again, and he found himself realizing that he had been doing so more often in the last few weeks than ever before in his life. Sansa could always draw a smile from him. No one else brought that same feeling of ecstasy, of exhilaration, of sheer giddiness, with just their presence.

As they continued to softly sway and gaze at one another, the humor was chased from her face to be replaced by something more serious. Some inexplicable emotion passed through her eyes, faster than he could decipher or react to as she suddenly leaned even closer, grazing her lips over his in a simple, chaste kiss that only lasted a few moments. His eyes fluttered closed, but before he could respond, she pulled away.

She watched him through a hooded gaze and Jon stood frozen, his eyes still closed and a small, hesitant smile playing over his lips. He tentatively opened his eyes to look at her, his face blanketed with confusion and cautious hope. "Sansa? What was that for?"

"Just for being you."

+++

The night passed in nearly a blink of an eye, and they found themselves walking down the still-busy streets near midnight. They strolled together, arms around one another with a faint destination of a taxi in their minds, neither in any particular hurry to put an end to the evening. Sansa sighed contently as she leaned closer to Jon, not for warmth but for the comfort of his strong and reassuring presence. Jon tightened his arm around her in response, favoring her with a gentle smile.

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

"I did." She glanced at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I trapped you into a date. Jeyne knew I was nervous- it was her idea for us all to go to dinner. I should have realized she'd tell Robb and he'd open his big mouth."

"You don't have to apologize. I'd have to be completely daft to be upset about getting a date with a girl like you, Sansa. You've got to know how special you are."

Jon stopped suddenly, floundering as he realized how much he had said, "I…uh…that is…" He found himself cut off by a pair of soft lips pressing to his, all coherent thought flying out the proverbial window.

Sansa wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling warm, strong hands come to rest respectfully at her hips as the kiss went on and on, until her world was a dizzy, fuzzy place full of nothing but wonderful, tactile sensations. She sank further and further into a heady delirium fueled by the lips that parted from her, feathering down her jaw and throat in a trail of light, fleeting kisses.

She stroked his neck, chest heaving against chest as they both panted for breath. Warm breath teased against her ear as Jon whispered incredulously. "Blimey."

Sansa could only breathlessly agree.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter has been merged into the first one, but I didn't want to lose all those lovely comments!


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